It’s Teacher Feature Thursday!

This week we are featuring infant teachers Trisha Goolsby, Nessa Moghadam, and Noel Ulmer. As the weather began to warm up this past spring, these teachers observed their children’s growing interest in the changing seasons. The infants had been enjoying their trips to outdoor locations on and around the National Mall, and especially loved pointing out the different plants beginning to grow and blossom in the Smithsonian Gardens. Trisha, Nessa, and Noel wanted to encourage their children’s interest in how plants grow from a seed to a full grown plant, so they decided to spend a morning giving the infants some hands-on exploration in the garden on SEEC’s playground.

Check out some photos of this lesson and a reflection from the teachers below!

What were your topics of exploration? Why did you choose them? Where did they come from?

We wanted to give the children more opportunities to go outside and experience the warm spring weather, and incorporate the many sensory elements of being outside into the curriculum. The children had been noticing many elements of the changing seasons during our walks outside in the buggies, such as the blooming flowers in the garden, so we wanted to focus on gardening to widen their perspective.

Why and how did you choose the visit?

We wanted to connect our lesson to things the kids were noticing in the world around them, such as plants beginning to grow. We chose the garden on our playground to give the children a chance to interact with the soil and plants using all of their senses.

What were your learning objectives? (What did you want your children to take away from the lesson?)

We wanted to focus on the process of planting with the children so they could experience firsthand how seeds are put into the soil and covered with the dirt. We also wanted them to be able to explore the texture of the soil so that when they saw plants growing in soil out in the community, they would have context. Lastly, we wanted to give them a chance to play with garden tools to see how they were used, and to practice fine motor skills like pushing and grasping.

What was most successful about your lesson? How did the lesson reach your objectives to expand the topic? What was successful in terms of your preparation and logistics?

This lesson was successful because the children were able to explore the garden for a long period of time and remained engaged. Each child explored the dirt with their hands, feet, and even their mouth. Some children didn’t enjoy the sensory experience of the water, but we brought other related options to play with, and most children loved playing in the dirt.

(Check out what the New York Times has to say about the importance of mouthing — turns out it’s not only developmentally appropriate, it can actually be good for babies’ immune systems!)

What could you have done differently to better achieve your objectives and expand the topic? What was challenging regarding logistics? What recommendations would you have for another teacher trying out this lesson?

If we were to repeat this lesson, I would probably provide even more context ahead of time to help the children make connections between the lesson and what they had already experienced. I would have read more books about planting or flowers growing in a garden, and the process of gardening. I would also have provided some fully grown plants or blooming flowers for the children to explore.

Here are some photos from the lesson:

These kiddos started off with a little sensory play in the garden. The teachers had brought along some soil, and the children were able to spend some time touching the dirt before diving into the details of gardening.

At SEEC, we believe that children learn best when they are able to get their hands “dirty” — and experience the world around them using all five senses. So, these kiddos did just that!

Infants are sensory learners. These infant teachers knew that it was important to spend ample time letting the children play in the dirt. Sensory play is a great tool for all age groups, but can especially be beneficial for infants. This type of play can help little ones make cause-and-effect connections, increase the amount of vocabulary they recognize, and help build confidence since they are directing the play.

Some kiddos even tried the dirt using their sense of taste — with mixed reactions!

After the kiddos had spent some time playing in the dirt, Trisha showed them the pots they would be using for planting. She gave each child a pot to hold, and explained that they would be putting something called a seed into the pots. The soil will help the seeds grow, and someday that seed will be a plant.

Again, the children took a hands-on role in this process, helping their teachers push the bean and pea seeds into the soil.

When the pots were ready to go, the teachers introduced a few important garden tools for their children to explore. The infants were able to spend some time playing with a toy trowel, fork, and watering can, while their teachers explained how they are used.

The teachers also brought along some soft, familiar garden toys that the children had been playing with in the classroom to help build the connection with the real garden.

While the children explored, they were able to experience many different types of plants that had been planted by other SEEC classrooms. Some plants were in containers small enough for the kiddos to move on their own, while some stretched high above the infants’ heads.

Trisha, Nessa, and Noel bolstered this lesson in the garden with many trips to gardens and outdoor locations on the National Mall. Along with the many benefits of getting the infants out into the fresh air, these trips helped expand the childrens’ knowledge of the many different types of plants that can grow in a garden.

Check out our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest for more ideas from this unit on gardening! See you in two weeks with our next Teacher Feature!

It’s Teacher Feature Thursday!

This week we are featuring Logan Crowley, Ashlee Smith, and Jill Manasco in our older infant classroom, the Ducklings. These teachers had noticed their children’s budding interest in exploring new places and the world outside of their classroom. These kiddos had spent much of their first year in the classroom learning about themselves, their teachers, and their friends, as well as getting to know their environment and becoming familiarized with being in a museum. That’s a big job for a one year old! As the weather started to warm up in March, these teachers decided to take advantage of the infants’ curiosity and began a unit exploring the community outside of the classroom. The Ducklings visited many locations across the National Mall during this unit, helping familiarize their kiddos with what their next several years at SEEC will be like. I accompanied their class on a trip to the National Museum of the American Indian to visit the museum’s interactive playspace for young children, imagiNATIONS.

Check out some photos from this lesson below, as well as a reflection from Logan, Ashlee, and Jill!

What were your topics of exploration? Why did you choose them? Where did they come from?

We were interested in visiting new places in our community that we had not have been before. We chose to go to the ImagiNations Activity Center at the National Museum of the American Indian so that the class would be able to explore a new space where it would be okay for them to play, run and touch things in the area.

Why and how did you choose the visit?

We chose ImagiNations because it was new to us and we knew it was ok for the children to be loud. It is a great space for older infants in that we were able to touch everything and it was not too far of a trip for us since the children tend to fall asleep if our trips are too long.

What were your learning objectives? (What did you want your children to take away from the lesson?)

The goal of the lesson was that we wanted to familiarize the children with other spaces in the Smithsonian community. We also wanted to practice being out the buggies in a large space, walking and holding hands with teachers, and each other as well. We had been to the American Indian Museum before but this was our first time going to ImagiNations. We wanted the children to able to explore whatever caught their attention in the space.

What was most successful about your lesson? How did the lesson reach your objectives to expand the topic? What was successful in terms of your preparation and logistics?

Our trip was successful in that we were able to explore the many elements of the space. The people who work in ImagiNations were great and very attentive to our needs and the children’s interests. They brought out an animal pelt for us to feel while we explored the inside of the tipi. They also invited us to their story time which would have been great if our class was just a little bit older but our students were much more interested in exploring. They wanted to run and play in the houses since everything was new to them.

What could you have done differently to better achieve your objectives and expand the topic? What was challenging regarding logistics? What recommendations would you have for another teacher trying out this lesson?

One of the biggest challenges we encountered was the long walk from the front of the play space where our buggies were parked to the play area. Some of them were not as steady as others and they were not used to holding hands at all times with either a teacher or another classmate, so it was challenging getting them all into the space. I might have also brought more things for them to interact with and hold on to once we were done with the lesson. Each child was given a picture to carry with them when we left our classroom, but many were lost on the trip.

Here are some photos of the Duckling’s lesson on their community:

Infants and young children can always benefit from a little repeated exposure. Before the class left SEEC, Jill showed the children a few photos of some of the things they would encounter at the American Indian Museum. Each child was able to hold onto a photo  — a great strategy for a long trip in the buggies.

The walk to the museum also provided lots of opportunities for the children to notice familiar buildings and landmarks on the National Mall.

When the Ducklings arrived at the museum, they headed straight upstairs to imagiNATIONS on the third level.

Right away, the Ducklings were excited to be in the space. It is a rare occurence for a one-year-old to be able to freely move their body and use their hands to touch in a museum. This was an exciting change of pace! The children immediately began exploring everything the exhibit has to offer. They especially enjoyed going inside of the different types of homes, including a tipi and an Amazonian stilt house.

Inside the tipi, many children were excited to explore the artifacts, hear about the importance of the buffalo, and especially feel the texture of its fur.

The outside of the tipi also provided plenty of opportunities for exploration, and a few surprises…

The space between the bottom of the tipi and the floor was the perfect size for these infants to crawl under!

The kiddos also enjoyed exploring the inside of the Amazonian stilt house and the objects within. Their favorite element was the ramp leading up to the entrance. The Ducklings loved to run up and down the ramp!

While Logan, Ashlee, and Jill helped the Ducklings make connections between their own homes and the homes in the exhibit, the visit was also a great opportunity for the kiddos to explore a new space within their community on the National Mall. The large windows in the space were a big draw for the children, and helped remind them of where they were in relation to other familiar buildings.

During their unit on community, the Ducklings got to explore many new and exciting parts of the world around them. They spent quite a bit of time exploring the National Museum of Natural History, checked out the trains down at the Metro station, enjoyed the warm spring weather in the Smithsonian Gardens, and even made the trip over to the Renwick Gallery to visit the WONDER exhibit! This unit was a great way for these infants to get acquainted with all Washington D.C. has to offer as they make the transition to their toddler year. Check out our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest for more ideas from their unit on Community! See you in two weeks with our next Teacher Feature — and a very happy new school year to all!

It’s Teacher Feature Thursday!

This week we are featuring Megan Gallagher, Melinda Bernsdorf, and Meredith Osborne in one of our toddler classrooms. These teachers had been exploring the children’s book Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert with their students, as a means to familiarize the children with the way their environment changes in springtime. During this lesson, the teachers introduced the concept of soil, what it is used for, and one of the creatures that calls it home – worms!. While visiting the O. Orkin Insect Zoo in the National Museum of Natural History, these teachers found an innovative way to use a termite exploration tunnel to meet the developmental needs of their toddlers. They combined this museum visit with a stop outside to the playground to explore real soil in the garden, and a classroom extension to create a well-rounded experience for the toddlers.

Below you will find some photos of the lesson, and a reflection from Megan, Melinda, and Meredith.

What were your topics of exploration?

Over the past several weeks, our class has been reading the book Planting a Rainbow, by Lois Ehlert. We have used the text as a basis for our exploration of Spring. Our initial exploration of the text was focused on the concepts of light and color. As the weeks passed, our discussion shifted towards gardening. During this week we focused our attention on soil and soil dwelling creatures.

Why and how did you choose the visit?

We wanted to discuss soil and worms in a way that would be accessible and engaging for toddlers. This is an age group that thrives when they are given the opportunity to learn with all of their body. Adding movement and sensory components to a lesson is a great way to add extra depth to their exploration of a topic and keep toddlers excited and engaged. The Insect Zoo at the Natural History Museum has a toddler-sized termite tunnel. We thought it would be great to have our students pretend to be worms tunneling through soil. After visiting the Insect Zoo we took a trip to our school’s garden for further soil exploration and a bit of planting.

What were your learning objectives?

Our objective was to increase our students’ understanding of the concepts of soil, worms, and gardening.

What was most successful about your lesson?

The most successful part of our lesson was the many different angles from which we were able to examine our topic. Upon arriving at the Insect Zoo we sat down for a quick circle to read Planting a Rainbow. After finishing the book, we flipped back to the page which says, “We sow the seeds and set out the plants in the soil.” We discussed how worms live in the soil and help take care of plants.

This discussion was aided by several objects. We brought along laminated pictures of earthworms for each child to hold. We also brought an iPad with a video of worms wiggling in soil so that the children could see how worms move.

Finally, we brought some real earthworms! The worms accompanied us to the Insect Zoo in a special case with a magnifying glass top, to give the kids an up close view of the worms. We explored these objects while discussing how worms tunnel through the soil by eating dirt and wiggling through the space they create.

After we finished exploring our objects, the teachers suggested that we could pretend to be earthworms. The kids were encouraged to wiggle on their tummies through the Insect Zoo’s termite tunnel. Wiggling through a tunnel without using our arms or legs proved to be both a lot of fun and quite the workout!

When we were done wiggling, we left the Insect Zoo and went to our school’s garden to release our worms and plant some seeds and seedlings that we had examined in the classroom earlier in the week.

After we were done planting, we had planned to give our students some time for self-directed exploration in the garden. Unfortunately, it was an unseasonably cold day. Due to the weather constraints, we decided to keep our garden visit brief.

After a quick planting session, we went back to the classroom to explore dirt in our sensory table. Our students were given scoops for digging and were encouraged to explore the dirt. We talked about what the dirt looked like and how it smelled. After we had played with the dirt for a while, we decided to see what would happen if we mixed water in with our dirt. We discovered that dirt mixed with water makes mud!

The many sensory and movement components of our lesson allowed our students to stay happy and engaged for the entire morning. It also provided opportunities for growth in many areas of development.

How did the lesson reach your objectives to expand the topic?

The various angles from which we examined soil allowed our students to gain a well-rounded grasp of the topic. We were also able to narrate quite a bit as we moved from activity to activity, which is great for developing language.

What was succesful in terms of your preparation and logistics?

The various objects that we prepared ahead of time, especially the purchasing of live earthworms, added depth to the lesson.

What could you have done differently to better achieve your objectives and expand the topic?

We could have added a book that was specifically about worms. Another great addition to our lesson might have been adding some sort of prop or costume for our students to use while they were pretending to be worms.

What was challenging regarding logistics?

The weather was very uncooperative. It had been beautiful and warm for several weeks while we were planning our unit on soil. It was unseasonably cold and windy during the week when we taught this lesson and it rained most days. We might have considered postponing until the weather improved, but we were concerned that our earthworms might not survive in our classroom while we waited for a pleasant day. We ultimately settled for a day that was cold, but not rainy, to teach this lesson.

What recommendations would you have for another teacher trying out this lesson?

As some of this lesson plan necessitates going outdoors, give yourself a window of time for this lesson. We were fine planting in our garden on a chilly day, but it would have not been possible for us to teach this lesson if it had also been raining. We had given ourselves a week’s window during planning, which turned out to be very helpful when the forecast showed rain for half of the week.

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After discussing soil for several more days, the toddlers continued their exploration of Planting a Rainbow by discussing more creatures who live in gardens, how gardens are affected by the changing spring weather, and the types of plants and produce we can grow in gardens.Check out our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest for more ideas from their unit on Planting a Rainbow! See you in two weeks with our next Teacher Feature!

It’s Teacher Feature Thursday!

This week we are featuring toddler teachers Meg McDonald, Laura Bonilla, and Jessica Fiveson. These teachers began a unit on transportation when they noticed their students were fascinated with anything and everything in motion. During this lesson, the teachers focused on one mode of transportation: trains! Many toddlers had seen trains before, both above ground and underground Metro trains. During this playful lesson, students were able to explore a real train at the National Museum of American History. Below you will find a reflection from Meg, Laura, and Jessica, along with some photos from their lesson.

What were your topics of exploration? Why did you choose them? Where did they come from?

We explored trains in this lesson. We had been learning about transportation and our kids showed a big interest in trains.

Why and how did you choose the visit?

We chose to see the trains in the Transportation Hall at the American History Museum so the children could see real trains up close. We also liked that we were able to hear train sounds while we were in the exhibit.

What were your learning objectives? (What did you want your children to take away from the lesson?)

Our goals were for the children to observe the size and different parts of the train, and understand that there are different types of trains. We also wanted the children to learn how trains help us by transporting people and products.

What was most successful about your lesson? How did the lesson reach your objectives to expand the topic? What was successful in terms of your preparation and logistics?

The kids had a great time and showed so much interest in exploring the trains. They had fun wearing the engineer hats and bandanas and reading the story Freight Train.

What could you have done differently to better achieve your objectives and expand the topic? What was challenging regarding logistics?  What recommendations would you have for another teacher trying out this lesson?

We didn’t experience any challenges with this lesson, but there potentially could have been challenges with the train sounds in the exhibit being too loud, or with the children being able to stay engaged for so long. I would recommend that educators take their children to see a moving train (at the Metro or other train station) to give their children multiple exposures.

Here are some photos from their lesson:

The toddlers began their lesson with a little dramatic play. In the classroom, they looked at some photos of trains, and spent some time playing “conductor.” Engaging in pretend play and role playing is an important developmental milestone for older toddlers, and helps children grow cognitively and emotionally.

When the class was suited up and ready to depart, they headed for the National Museum of American History (while walking on hand-holding “trains”)!

The class headed straight toward the exhibit America on the Move, which includes many examples of trains of all kinds.

The teachers had prepared a train ticket for each child, and the toddlers practiced taking turns to have their ticket stamped.

Soon the toddlers were ready to board! The class spent a few minutes walking around and carefully looking at the Southern Railway’s 1401 train. They then found a quiet corner to sit right by the engine.

Meg led her toddlers in some inquiry-based discussion, asking open-ended questions such as: “What do you think this train would sound like?” “If you were going to get on a train, where would you go?” The kiddos used their voices to make train sounds and thought about where they might take a train ride.

Meg read the book Freight Train by Donald Crews, and her toddlers paid close attention to the different types of cars, pointing out the different colors and counting how many were on each page.

The class finished up their lesson by taking a peek inside of the train and pointing out the conductors and the parts of the engine room.

These toddler teachers incorporated play, exploration, and inquiry in this lesson to create a meaningful experience for their kiddos. The class spent over a week learning about trains and rounded out their transportation unit by learning about other things with wheels, including cars and construction equipment. Check out our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest for more ideas from their unit on transportation! See you in two weeks with our next Teacher Feature!

It’s Teacher Feature Thursday!

This week we are featuring Stephanie Jimenez, Shawna Williams, and Javacia Finney in our two-year-old Penguin classroom. These twos were deep into a unit on ocean life, and their teachers decided to spend a week learning about a familiar ocean animal, sharks. During this lesson, the class took a trip to the National Gallery of Art to view John Singleton Copley’s Watson and the Shark and compare the painting to what they had learned about sharks in class. Teachers at SEEC have an abundance of interesting objects and artwork to visit with their students. Sometimes teachers choose artwork that may seem unexpected, but is connected to conversations their students have had in class. Watson in the Shark is just one example of teachers choosing an unexpected piece of artwork to create a meaningful museum experience for their students.

Below you will find photos from their lesson and a reflection from Stephanie.

What were your topics of exploration? Why did you choose them? Where did they come from?

We had been learning about oceans for several weeks, and this week we were focusing on sharks. Our kids love watching the fish in the aquarium in Sant Ocean Hall in the Natural History Museum. They were familiar with sharks and knew that they lived in the ocean, but I wanted this lesson to help them notice the differences between sharks and other fish.

Why and how did you choose the visit?

I chose to visit the painting Watson and the Shark because I wanted the children to have a visual of a shark in its natural environment, and then use their imaginations to have a discussion about the painting based on what they already knew about sharks.

What were your learning objectives? (What did you want your children to take away from the lesson?)

I wanted to introduce the children to what sharks look like and some of their behaviors. I wanted them to use what they knew about sharks to tell the story of what could be happening in the painting

What was most successful about your lesson? How did the lesson reach your objectives to expand the topic? What was successful in terms of your preparation and logistics?

I think the lesson was successful because the children were able to learn more about an ocean animal they were really interested in. The painting allowed them to visualize what a shark looked like, and they were able to have a concrete example of what we had been learning about in class. After our week on sharks, we began learning about fishing because the children were really interested in what the people on the boat were doing.

What could you have done differently to better achieve your objectives and expand the topic? What was challenging regarding logistics?  What recommendations would you have for another teacher trying out this lesson?

I would go to the museum ahead of time if possible, to make sure you know the exact location of the painting you want to see to help the lesson go smoothly.

Here are a few images from their lesson on sharks:

Stephanie began the lesson by leading a review of the types of sharks her class had been learning about. They had learned about three different sharks throughout the week, including blue sharks, hammerhead sharks, and dwarf sharks.

The children listened intently as Stephanie read the story Five Little Sharks Swimming in the Sea by Steve Metzger. Counting books and counting songs often have a rhythm that is engaging for young children, which helps to facilitate understanding of early math skills.

Stephanie then led the group in singing and dancing to the song Baby Shark, a song that encourages children to engage with the music with their whole bodies. This song helped the children differentiate between sharks of different sizes, and referenced many physical features of sharks including their fins and teeth.

The class bundled up and headed over to the National Gallery of Art to check out John Singleton Copley’s visually striking Watson and the Shark.

Stephanie encouraged her class to spend a few minutes looking at the painting and thinking about what they saw. She began the discussion by asking simply, “What do you see?” There is a lot to see in this painting, and the children were eager to share their observations.

The children noticed lots of details in the painting, including the fact that some people were in the boat but one was in the water. They also noticed the expressions on the faces of people in the boat. Many children agreed that the faces looked sad or scared. Stephanie guided the children’s discussion by continuously asking open-ended questions, including: “Why is that person in the water?” “What were the people doing before this happened?” “What is going to happen?” Some children remembered that sharks are meat eaters and eat other animals and fish. A few children thought that the people in the boat were going to save the person in the water from the shark.

The class spent quite a bit of time looking specifically at the shark, noticing its physical characteristics and thinking about what the shark might be doing. One child commented on its sharp teeth, and thought that it might be hungry. Some children thought that the shark looked like one the types they had learned about in the classroom, the blue shark.

By asking open-ended questions and basing her questions on the children’s observations, Stephanie allowed the children in her class to insert personal meaning into the lesson. The children used their imaginations to tell a story of what was happening in the painting, while incorporating knowledge of shark behavior and physical characteristics.

After learning about sharks, the Penguins continued their unit on oceans by exploring other ocean animals and ways that humans interact with the ocean. Check out our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest for more ideas from their ocean unit! See you in two weeks with our next Teacher Feature!

It’s Teacher Feature Thursday!

This week we are featuring John Fuller, Brittany Brown, and Brittany Leavitt, who teach our two-year-old Firefly Class. This class spent several weeks learning about jazz music and musicians as part of a larger unit during Black History Month. The students were captivated by the different types of instruments that can be heard in jazz music, and the voices of Billie Holliday and Ella Fitzgerald often floated down the hall from their classroom during their explorations. I accompanied the Fireflies on a visit to the National Portrait Gallery to learn about Louis Armstrong and view one of his portraits. Below you will find a reflection from Brittany B., Brittany L., and John, as well as some images from their lesson.

What were your topics of exploration? Why did you choose them? Where did they come from?

This lesson took place during the month of February, so we decided to take advantage of Black History Month. We had observed the fact that our children love music, and so we chose to focus on jazz music for a few weeks.

Why and how did you choose the visit?

We had been learning about several different jazz musicians and wanted our kids to see a photo of one of the musicians we had been learning about in a museum. We decided to visit the National Portrait Gallery because we could see a portrait of Louis Armstrong there.

What were your learning objectives? (What did you want your children to take away from the lesson?)

Our main goal in this lesson was to help the Fireflies identify different musicians and instruments. We reinforced this concept by playing lots of matching games, and helped the Fireflies connect to the musicians by sharing interesting tidbits about their lives that the Fireflies were familiar with (such as the face that Duke Ellington has a school named after him in our city, Washington D.C.).

We also brought in a record player so the kids would be able to listen to the music of each jazz artist as we learned about them. The kids were all amazed by the record player! On our museum visit, we brought a trumpet along with us so the kids would be able to feel and hold an authentic jazz instrument. We wanted the children to learn that Louis Armstrong played the trumpet, and that the trumpet has many different parts like the bell, finger buttons and mouthpiece.

What was most successful about your lesson? How did the lesson reach your objectives to expand the topic?  What was successful in terms of your preparation and logistics?

I believe this was a successful lesson. It’s great to talk with our kids’ parents and hear that they were talking about Billie Holiday at home, or that they remembered that Miles Davis plays the trumpet.

What could you have done differently to better achieve your objectives and expand the topic? What was challenging regarding logistics?  What recommendations would you have for another teacher trying out this lesson?

There were no major challenges during this lesson. It seemed like we gave the children enough examples to reinforce the concepts during our circle, without overwhelming them with too much information at once. Music is such a universal topic that we could have gone in many different directions with it. We had previously explored our five senses during the fall semester, and we could have revisited that topic and talked about how we use our ears to hear and our fingers to play.

For any teachers trying out this lesson, I would recommend they think outside the box. Connecting music and art is a fun way to reinforce the concept. Some examples would be to have a dance party in your classroom, putting on music and letting the children take off their shoes and paint with their feet on the floor. Teachers could also incorporate art by putting a dab of paint on a drum and letting their students experiment.

Here are a few photos from the Fireflies’ lesson on Louis Armstrong:

The Firefly teachers began their lesson in the classroom, where Brittany B. led the students in a matching activity to review the jazz musicians they had learned about so far in their unit.

This activity gave children the opportunity to look at pictures of familiar jazz artists, and match each artist to the instrument they played. Earlier in their unit, the Fireflies had learned about the musicians Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, and Miles Davis. This matching game including a storytelling component, where the Fireflies learned some details about each musician’s life. The kiddos were excited to connect the musicians’ experiences to things they had experienced themselves (such as living in Washington D.C.).

Following this activity, Brittany B. introduced the Fireflies to another jazz musician, Ella Fitzgerald. The students learned that some musicians, like Ella Fitzgerald, use their voice as an instrument.

The kiddos put on their “listening ears” while Brittany B. played an Ella Fitzgerald record. Many kiddos picked out the different instruments they heard in the song, including the singer’s voice and a trumpet. Brittany B. explained that they were going to see a portrait of another jazz singer that day.

Later in the morning, the Fireflies continued their lesson at the National Portrait Gallery. Brittany L. introduced the class to the jazz musician Louis Armstrong, and the class spent some time looking at his portrait.

Due to the musical nature of their unit, the class by this point was very accustomed to putting on their “listening ears,” and did so again in the museum to hear Louis Armstrong sing What a Wonderful World. A few students told Brittany L. that they could hear a piano, a trumpet, and a singing voice.

The Firefly teachers had brought a real trumpet in its case along to the museum. Before Brittany L. opened the case, the class spent some time guessing what was inside. One student guessed “A violin!”

As Brittany L. showed the trumpet to the students, she labeled each part and talked about its function. She demonstrated how the trumpet is played by blowing air through it, and compared it to the trumpet in Louis Armstrong’s portrait.

The students then had the opportunity to touch the trumpet, push the buttons, and examine the holes at either end.

This unit exposed the two-year-olds to many different types of jazz musicians, and provided the students with plenty of new vocabulary and knowledge about how different instruments are played. Check out our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest for more ideas from their unit on jazz! See you in two weeks with our next Teacher Feature!

It’s Teacher Feature Thursday!

This week, we are featuring Katy Martins, Noel Ulmer, and Nessa Moghadam, who teach our youngest group of infants at SEEC, the Cottontails. These teachers recently explored music and musical instruments with their young learners, and thoughtfully selected activities and museum visits that were developmentally appropriate and suited the needs of their young age group. I joined the Cottontails on a visit to the Hirshhorn Museum, where they spent time in an auditory-based exhibit featuring quiet violin music. Below you will find a reflection from Katy, Noel, and Nessa, and some images from their lesson on music.

What were your topics of exploration? Why did you choose them? Where did they come from?

We decided to explore music. The Cottontails love when we have music with Allison (SEEC’s music enrichment educator) and were really enjoying the different rattles we had around the room. Music was a great topic to explore because even with our various ages everyone would be able to participate.

Why and how did you choose the visit?

We chose our visit because we wanted to explore a new space. The Hirshhorn can be a great space because it is a very quiet, calm space and we really wanted them to be able to focus on the instrument and pictures we brought with us.

What were your learning objectives? (What did you want your children to take away from the lesson?)

We wanted them to get used to being in a new environment. We also wanted them to make a connection between the music that was playing in the exhibit and the sounds they were making with the instruments we brought along with us. With infants, sometimes all we want is for them to get used to longer visits without the buggies constantly moving.

What was most successful about your lesson? How did the lesson reach your objectives to expand the topic? What was successful in terms of your preparation and logistics?

I think the instruments we brought were the most successful part of our lesson. It kept their interest while we were stopped at the exhibit and allowed them to make a connection between the music we were hearing and the music they made while playing the instruments. In preparing for our trip, we made sure that we had lots of options for holding their interest.

What could you have done differently to better achieve your objectives and expand the topic? What was challenging regarding logistics?  What recommendations would you have for another teacher trying out this lesson?

I wish we had more time to explore the space before we brought the kids. The Hirshhorn is a great place to go when they are a bit older because it is very visual and there is no space for them to come out of the buggies on a blanket like we do on most of our visits. We had a really great mellow visit but we know it’s not always so easy, and every visit could have different outcomes. I would recommend a teacher bring lots of manipulative objects and not be afraid to change plans. If we had gotten there and they all fell apart, we would have had to change our plan on the spot. Even though we didn’t need to, I wish we had just in case.

Here are a few photos from their unit on music:

Before venturing out to a different museum to learn about musical instruments, the teachers made sure their students had multiple exposures to music in their own classroom to become familiar with the topic. The class spent plenty of time singing, clapping, and exploring different types of shakers and authentic musical instruments.

About a week before their Hirshhorn visit, the class had their first exposure to a real trumpet.

Many children enjoyed pushing the trumpet’s buttons with their fingers and looking inside of the bell. Other children noticed that they could see their reflection in the shiny surface of the trumpet. One teacher played some loud notes on the trumpet as the children watched. Some were captivated by the noise, while others weren’t sure about the loud volume.

The following week, after more exploration, the teachers and students bundled up and walked across the mall to the Hirshhorn Museum. Before entering, Nessa read the children a book about musical sounds, while Katy and Noel provided them with the tactile experience of touching instruments related to the story.

The group then headed upstairs to view Susan Philipsz’ installation entitled Part File Score, a visual and auditory installation featuring sheet music and the sound of a violin playing.

The large space and music provided a great environment for this class of young learners to spend some more time exploring instruments through touching, shaking, and mouthing. The violin music selected for this installation often starts and stops abruptly – garnering some priceless reactions from these infants.

During this unit, the Cottontails experienced many types of musical sounds and were able to make cause-and-effect connections through hands on exploration with instruments. Check out our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest for more ideas from their unit on music! See you in two weeks with our next Teacher Feature!